Packages for surgical sutures are well known in the art. The function of the package is to contain and protect the suture strand material, and any attached surgical needles, and to provide low-force, tangle-free dispensing when used by the health care professional in a surgical procedure. One type of package that is known in this art is a tray package having a suture channel. Suture is loaded into the package by winding the suture into a suture channel, typically having an oval configuration. Suture tray packages are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,047,815 and 6,135,272, which are incorporated by reference. It is preferable that the package dispense the suture strand in a form that is relatively straight, retaining a minimal amount of ‘memory’, of the coiled shape of the suture packaged in the suture channel.
A further function of a suture package is to secure an attached surgical needle in a holding device, or ‘needle park’, which secures the needle in a readily accessible location with sufficient strength to withstand shipping and handling forces to which the package may be exposed prior to use, while presenting access to and easy removal of the needle by the surgeon. It is desirable that the package be relatively thin, so that an efficient quantity may be stacked together within the confines of a dispenser carton. A dispenser carton is typically limited in size by a conventional hospital operating room storage rack system.
The package also must provide a substrate for appropriate and required labeling. It is also important that the package be readily manufacturable. Surgical sutures are cost sensitive, high volume, disposable products. Accordingly, the packaging should present maximum function for minimal cost.
Packages designs that incorporate the previous-described features typically have intricate shapes that are best provided by a tray-like base component made from a precision plastic injection molding. Still more design features can be provided if the molded package has two components, a top member and bottom member. Advantages of a two-component design are that more shapes and features can be incorporated into the resulting assembly, thereby providing a better opportunity to achieve the package objectives. A further advantage of a two-piece design is that different materials may be used for the two components, for example, a flexible plastic for the top member embodying hinged doors, and a more slippery rigid plastic (e.g., styrene polymer), for the bottom member embodying a suture track that is sensitive to sliding friction.
The assembly operation for a two-component package requires an efficient and secure method of joining the components. Typical attachment methods for molded plastic parts which are adaptable to full automation include, but not limited to, conventional ultrasonic welding, solvent or adhesive welding, various snap-together designs, and use of mechanical fasteners such as screws.
Although the conventional methods and processes for attaching components of tray packages together are adequate for their intended purpose, there is a continuing need in this art for improved attachment methods and processing.